


Surprise Zanpakutou

by SereneSorrow



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, HichiIchi Week 2019, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-21 11:55:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21074486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SereneSorrow/pseuds/SereneSorrow
Summary: When Ichigo gets caught up in the Zanpakutou Rebellion he learns that his Zanpakutou isn't who Ichigo thought he was. That's not the only secret his Zanpakuto was hiding however, and Ichigo has to figure out what else Zangetsu is hiding in order to get him back again.





	1. Part I : Sword

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HichiIchi Week 2019 Day 5 : Sword
> 
> So, I didn't actually know that HichiIchi Week was a thing until YESTERDAY so this was the first idea I could think of for any of it... eh... just wanted to contribute, apparently I'm enjoying these Bleach event week things... :D

_'Can ya' hear it King?'_ The voice echoed around Ichigo as he drifted between sleep and his inner world. He wasn't awake enough to answer the hollow's question, or even to understand what he was asking. Shifting slightly in his bed Ichigo slept on, unaware of what his hollow was feeling.

  
**_“From now on, It will be the Zanpakutou who rule over the Shinigami.”_**

***  
***

Muramasa looked upon the soul of Substitute Soul Reaper Kurosaki Ichigo and wondered at the strange presences within. The boy wasn't a captain or lieutenant, but he had immense reiatsu, and from what he had seen as he watched the Gotei 13 these last few years the boy was likely to become a problem if he didn't find a way to divert him now.

***

“Ichigo is here.”

That statement halted the meeting, and the captains looked around at each other in dismay. The Substitute Soul Reaper had a habit of following and being followed by trouble.

“Is he aware of the current situation?” Captain Kyoraku asked Lieutenant Abarai, who had reported the Substitute's presence.

“I think Rukia may have gone to warn him, so probably, but I'm not sure.” Renji replied.

“Kurosaki has the strength of a captain, if his Zanpakutou spirit is also freed we don't know what might happen.” Captain Hitsugaya noted.

“Best we find out how much he knows then.” Captain Ukitake suggested.

“As well as being prepared to contain any damage should he have already engaged in combat against his own Zanpakutou spirit when we arrive.” Captain Soi-Fon nodded, to the grim agreement of the other able-bodied captains of the Gotei 13.

***

Ichigo took in the sight of the white and violet garbed stranger, a Zanpakutou who wanted to free all of the Zanpakutou from the control of their Soul Reapers. He was describing his ability, that he could speak to their Zanpakutou spirits and release them in their true form.

Without further comment the spirit raised his right hand. “Hear my voice, and release your soul from this body, Zangetsu.”

Before he could do anything to stop it or brace himself the world swam around him, in a disorienting swirl. Suddenly, red edged black reiatsu spilled out of him and Ichigo screamed in agony as the flow built until an explosion of reiatsu battered the buildings and walls around him. When the smoke cleared Ichigo was kneeling in a crater. Looking up his eyes widened as he took in the sight of his hollow standing beside the strange Zanpakutou spirit.

“What?_ You?_ What are you doing here?” Ichigo stuttered as he climbed to his feet.

The hollow glowered at him without answer, and then suddenly rushed at him, and Ichigo barely got his blade up quickly enough to block the blow. Startled, Ichigo noticed that for the first time since learning Zangetsu's name, his blade appeared to be sealed instead of the constant release Shikai form it had taken. Against the hollow's Shikai blade Ichigo's sword felt almost flimsy as he blocked more and more of the hollow's wild blows.

“Getsuga tensho!” The hollow shouted, as red and black reiatsu gathered and lashed out at him.

Desperately, Ichigo tried to focus his reiatsu the way he usually did for a getsuga tensho. It was more difficult than he expected, but finally something clicked and he managed it. Ichigo was shocked when the getsuga tensho that he fired only just in time to block his hollow's emerged as the blueish white reiatsu that the other Soul Reapers used.

In the wake of the explosion after their energies clashed, Ichigo chased after his hollow over the rooftops, resuming their battle between the tall buildings set higher within Seireitei. A strike of his own blade scored a gash across the hollow's chest, but it closed with a flood of the white substance of instant regeneration while the hollow snarled at him.

Ichigo barely noticed when, all around him, half a dozen captains and lieutenants appeared around the edges of the surrounding buildings. Crossing blades with his hollow again Ichigo identified out of the corner of his eye a few of the people around them. Kyoraku, Ukitake, Renji, Hitsugaya, Soi-Fon, and Isshin had all surrounded him. They probably knew more about what was going on here, what had happened to send Rukia stumbling into the Living World badly wounded, but he didn't have time to stop and ask them.

A kick from his hollow to his stomach sent him flying back into a wall, and Ichigo gasped at the look of murder in his hollow's eyes as he appeared mere inches away and brought his blade down in a slash toward Ichigo's shoulder.

***

The hollow spirit looked like a carbon copy of Kurosaki, inverted black and white with glowing golden eyes. The twisted murder-grin on it's face was jarring to those who had spent any time with the Substitute, and more than one captain laid a hand on their blades as they watched Kurosaki dodge the hollow's wild swings.

Isshin watched nervously as the boy he was becoming more and more certain was his son fought the hollow spirit. Kurosaki's reiatsu was finally the natural blue/white color it should be, the strange black and red color now revealed to belong to this being, whatever it was. Around him the other captains watched with wary and shocked expressions as the young man fought his blade.

They had all wondered where Kurosaki's power came from, how he could be so strong. If the source of his power was a hollow then it went against several of their laws. They had lost captains and lieutenants to experiments with just this sort of power source before, several of them, and it had been a devastating loss to their ranks. If their newest ally was bolstering his abilities with hollow experimentation than perhaps he wasn't who they thought he was. Perhaps he might even one day, maybe even soon, become their enemy as well.

_ 'Does Kurosaki's thirst for power rival Aizen's?'_

_ 'Would Kurosaki go as far as the captains that we lost a century ago?'_

Several of them couldn't help thinking such thoughts as they watched Kurosaki's fight.

***

“Excellent, a wider audience. Release your power Zangetsu, destroy our enemies!” Muramasa ordered the hollowfied Zanpakutou spirit, gleeful as the hollow Zanpakutou obeyed him.

Zangetsu glanced back at him but did as he was bid, gathering his monstrous reiatsu and raising his blade. “Bite, Tensa Zangetsu!” Zangetsu cried, the reiatsu bursting forth and enveloping him as his shape changed. The blade itself took on its slimmer Bankai form, a plain black blade with a broken chain dangling from the hilt, while Zangetsu himself took on his vasto lorde form complete with horns, tail and hollow hole.

With an earth-shattering roar Zangetsu released a cero from the tip of his horns at the surrounding captains, slashing at his wielder with one clawed hand while the other threw his blade like a lance toward another captain.

Muramasa smirked at the chaos.

***

“Hey! Cut it out already! Why are you listening to him!” Ichigo shouted as he dodged another scratch.

His hollow glared at him and continued his attacks against Ichigo and the captains who surrounded them. Ichigo's heart lurched even as it raced with adrenaline. Usually the hollow had a lot to say, constantly threatening and belittling him even while pushing him to get stronger or better. Now, the hollow was barely even listening to him, completely focused on attacking him. It wasn't right, and nothing Ichigo said was getting through to him, he didn't know what to do.

There had to be some way to get him to listen to reason, even with how unreasonable the hollow always was. Ichigo just had to figure out how to do it. Thoughts racing, Ichigo's planning was interrupted by the mastermind.

“You amuse me, Kurosaki Ichigo. A soul reaper with the power of a hollow, I never imagined I would see such a thing.” The unknown Zanpakutou said as he stepped forward when his hollow was temporarily distracted with the captains. The Zanpakutou glanced aside at the hollow. “However it seems that I have toyed with you for too long. It is time for us to move on.”

In an instant the hollow was beside him again, and had released his Bankai. Before Ichigo could step forward the two of them were gone.

***

Ichigo gasped for breath amid the rubble his hollow had left behind. No, not his hollow, Zangetsu. His hollow _was_ Zangetsu. _How was that possible?_ The old man... _He_ was Zangetsu, _wasn't he?_

_'Zangetsu?'_ Ichigo called out within his soul.

Ichigo stared down at his sword, disturbed that he neither felt nor heard an answer from his blade. _Was the old man even there?_

_'Zangetsu?'_ He tried calling again, but still he received no answer. His blade was silent, the old man didn't answer him.

_ 'Old man?'_ Ichigo tried instead, desperate to hear from his sword.

Nothing. Silence. He was alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had hollow Ichigo say 'Bite Tensa Zangetsu' so that his transformation would be a combination of Bankai and Resurreccion, and I used 'Bite' because 'moon FANG' so teeth, biting, simple but whatever.
> 
> Also, this is still a work in progress, I've barely started chapter 2, so I don't really know where I would say this story takes place in the timeline, before or after Aizen or what other events have happened, so just imagine that it takes place somewhere when Ichigo thinks he knows everything there is to know about his spirits. Again, I don't know if Ichigo has met the visoreds yet or not, or if he knows about Quincy stuff or not... just I have no idea.  
And, as part of the canon divergence, in this story Isshin is still a captain and just had a brief affair in the living world, so Ichigo lives with his mom, and no I don't know if Yuzu and Karin even exist either... I did not plan this out well...


	2. Part II : Empty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HichiIchi Week 2019 Day 6 : Empty
> 
> A bit more random canon divergence...

Ichigo was still in shock. His hollow was gone, something that he had always assumed he wanted, and yet it turned out that his hollow meant more to him than he had ever known. His hollow was his Zanpakutou, the power he had trained so long and hard to use, the power that he depended on to protect his family and his friends. All this time Zangetsu was training him, teaching him, but never revealing who he really was and now there was a hole in his soul where Zangetsu belonged.

After Zangetsu and the strange Zanpakutou spirit had disappeared the captains had explained what was going on, how the stranger had appeared and taken all of their Zanpakutou spirits, how it seemed that they were all working with this Muramasa voluntarily.

Ichigo listened to the captains planning how they would find Head Captain Yamamoto, and discussing what they thought Muramasa's real goals were with half an ear. Apparently if Muramasa really wanted to free the Zanpakutou from their Shinigami masters then he would have kept up constant attacks against them, instead of retreating time after time. It didn't seem important to him though, all that mattered to Ichigo now was getting Zangetsu back and finding answers to his questions.

Across the room Ichigo was vaguely aware that the Shiba captain was watching him. He was a strange guy, always had been as far as Ichigo could tell, in the few interactions Ichigo had had with the man he seemed incapable of taking anything seriously. Right now most of the people who had seen him fighting Zangetsu were avoiding his gaze, and Ichigo had been afraid of them having just that reaction if they ever found out that he had hollow powers, or maybe an even worse reaction like attacking him or calling him a monster. Now though, with his hollow and his Zanpakutou being one and the same, Ichigo was too confused to pay them much attention. Captain Shiba seemed to be the only one not wary of him, but he didn't have the energy to wonder why.

Ichigo didn't bother excusing himself, he just left the room, wandering aimlessly until he found a place that was quiet and unoccupied. It seemed to be some kind of garden, a few trees and a lot of flowers, and Ichigo sat down on a large rock and pulled out his sword. Laying the blade across his knees he stared at it for a moment, still shocked at the empty silence that he felt from the sword. Finally he closed his eyes, attempting to meditate, hoping that the old man was still in there somewhere and would answer him.

Answer him and answer the many questions in his empty heart.

***  
***

Hours later and they were following Muramasa's trail to the living world, back to Karakura Town. Kurosaki was the most familiar with his own home town, so he lead the team's way, even Soi-Fon had fallen in behind him as they traveled despite their new wariness of him.

The reiatsu they could feel spilling out over the town suggested several battles in progress, most between combatants that the team was unfamiliar with. Powerful combatants, captain level even, Hitsugaya realized with wide eyes as a golden whip streaked through the sky.

Kurosaki had darted ahead of them while they were distracted, and blocked a blow from a woman with the body of a lion in order to converse with the blonde man she was attacking. The woman wore a decoration of bone over her head, like a hollow, and Toshiro realized that she was a hollowfied Zanpakutou spirit.

“Lisa?” Captain Kyoraku asked in shock, gaping at a woman with glasses who was fighting a violet and silver clad woman with dragonfly wings and a diamond shaped mask completely obscuring her face.

“Not now, can't you see I'm busy!” She snapped as sparks rang from their blades.

These were the traitors, Toshiro realized, the eight traitorous Shinigami who had experimented on their fellow Shinigami and eventually given themselves hollow powers to increase their strength. So Kurosaki did know these people after all, Toshiro was disappointed, just hours ago they had discussed whether Kurosaki might have been in contact with these people but Toshiro had hoped that the Substitute had more honor than this.

***

_“That sick Zanpakutou spirit went off to the woods somewhere, we lost track of him when our Zanpakutou attacked us, but he's after something in there.”_

Shinji's words had lead Ichigo to this island shrouded in mist but now he didn't know what to do. Muramasa and Zangetsu were standing in front of some kind of coffin-thing that was speared with weapons he didn't recognize, and it was exuding powerful reiatsu.

“Zangetsu!” Ichigo approached them, calling out for his Zanpakutou with his true name for once.

Zangetsu turned to look over his shoulder at Ichigo, but otherwise stayed at Muramasa's side. Ichigo wanted to call out to him again, to ask him if they could talk this through, or fight until they understood each other again and Zangetsu returned to his inner world where he belonged.

Unfortunately, at that moment the coffin was obliterated, and the golden weapons were cast into the ground as a figure sparked with visible lightning-like bolts of reiatsu. It was hard to make out the figure's appearance, but Ichigo could see that it was a man dressed in rags and holding a broken blade. As the lights died down and the man fell to the ground Ichigo warily approached, taking in the man's starved and skeletal body.

“Koga! Master, I have released you!” Muramasa cried, and Ichigo's eyes widened in shock at the Zanpakutou doing all of this to free his wielder.

The man, Koga, pushed himself to his knees as he breathed harshly. Muramasa bent down to reach for him when suddenly Koga's hand shot out and grabbed Muramasa's clothes, yanking him down to his knees.

“Released me? If you had come when I summoned you I would never have been sealed away in the first place!” Koga said harshly before he shoved himself to his feet, knocking Muramasa down in the process and scowled down at the fallen Zanpakutou. “Weak. You are weak, and I don't need a Zanpakutou like you.”

Ichigo felt a pang of empathy for Muramasa as the Zanpakutou gazed up at his master in pain. Being rejected by your wielder, he'd seen what that could do to a Zanpakutou from Kenpachi's example. The hollow, empty feeling of a lost connection that Ichigo hadn't been able to shake this whole time, since the moment Zangetsu had appeared beside Muramasa and refused to answer him was probably similar to what Muramasa was feeling now.

He wouldn't wish that pain on his enemies, Ichigo didn't want to feel empty anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Sakanade, just picture the monkey half of Renji's Zabimaru, but as a lion woman instead of a monkey woman, as opposed to an actual lion with a woman's head, and she's wearing Shinji's hollow mask.
> 
> Chapter 3 is I think about half written, hopefully I can finish it to post tomorrow, and I'm actually hoping to finish this story with Chapter 4, but I'm not sure if that will work out exactly so I'm sticking with 5 chapters for now...


	3. Part III : White

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HichiIchi Week 2019 Day 7 : White
> 
> Woohoo! I only had half a page of this yesterday, and I thought that I would struggle just getting another half page written, well I did, but then it just took off and YAY!
> 
> WARNING if you need it: um, there's a little bit of choking and a little bit of drowning, but everyone's as okay as they would be in canon, like one paragraph later: -totally fine-.

White, Shiro. There were other names, older and newer, that he had been given. White was the first name he had been given by a soul reaper, before that he had possessed his own names. After, the living boy who's soul had grown around him had named him many things. Hollow, Hichigo, Ogichi and Shiro were products of his overactive but bland imagination. Zangetsu was the name that had been given to their combined power by higher beings, and noble blood.

His existence wasn't so singular as a normal Zanpakutou spirit's, he didn't feel bound by the names he had been given. He was only a fraction of the power Ichigo possessed, one part of a greater whole, and he had found over the last few years that there were other reasons that he was so fixated on Ichigo.

There were strange, foreign feelings twisting him up inside, feelings that he hadn't experienced at the time when he was just a hollow. He couldn't remember if he had felt them when he was human, that was far too long ago for him to recall. Now though, now he desired to be acknowledged by his wielder, as more than what he was. He wanted his king to see him properly, to accept that they were more than just a Shinigami and a Zanpakutou.

Muramasa, he was the same. More than just a Zanpakutou, he felt more for his own wielder than a desire to grow in strength, to be well matched fighters on a battlefield. That was why Zangetsu followed him willingly into the cave system where Muramasa's Zanpakutou army was gathered, and why he had waited among them for orders as Muramasa dealt with their head captain.

It was why Shiro had come along with Muramasa when he had set off for the living world instead of staying in Soul Society for the upcoming attack. While the Shinigami leaders were busy facing Ryuujin Jakka and whatever force sent to track Muramasa followed them to the Living World the rest of the Zanpakutou would launch another attack on the weak and unprepared Shinigami. Hopefully they would burn the rest of their barracks to the ground and eliminate some of their weaker wielders.

What happened to those useless Shinigami wasn't really something White cared about one way or another, whether the Shinigami regained control of their Zanpakutou or not he could care less, and he knew that Muramasa felt the same. Their goals were solely focused on their own wielders, but Ogichi would be lying if he said that he didn't think the Shinigami would someday be a threat to Ichigo. He wouldn't mind if their forces were decimated right now, there would be fewer of them to come after Ichigo later on.

Now, facing Koga as Muramasa's wielder rejected him so easily, Hichigo couldn't help glancing at his Ichigo. He didn't think that Ichigo would reject him like that, _but how could he be certain?_

Zangetsu didn't expect it, or he might have intervened. The broken blade of Koga's Zanpakutou stabbed deep into Muramasa's stomach, and he could only watch while Muramasa stared in devastated horror at his wielder. The look of pain on Muramasa's face shifted suddenly when he coughed, both hands reaching up to clutch at his own throat as he choked.

The reiatsu emanating from Muramasa changed, and he could feel hollows gathering around them, summoned by the power Muramasa was now losing control of within himself. Blood bubbling out from the wound in his stomach and dripping from his eyes grew larger and larger in a violet mass that consumed Muramasa, Koga, Ichigo and himself, and after a moment of blackout they found themselves inside an inner world.

Shiro assumed that it belonged to Koga and Muramasa, the crooked columns emerging from still water were nothing like Ichigo's inner world. Ichigo was still falling toward the water below so Ogichi swept up the idiot king and slammed him into one of the columns.

“Don't even know how to keep yer feet on solid ground, eh? What would ya do without me?” Hichigo taunted as Ichigo coughed and pushed himself up out of the rubble.

Muramasa and Koga were far enough away, and it wasn't his place to interfere in their fight anyway. Zangetsu turned back to Ichigo and swung his blade at the unprepared Shinigami, their blades ringing in the quiet.

“Why are you doing this? What does freeing his Shinigami have to do with starting a war between Shinigami and their Zanpakutou?” Ichigo demanded as he blocked one strike after another.

“Free, equal, just separate is good enough! We aren't slaves, I don't fight for you because you tell me to, I have my own reasons!” Shiro yelled, more determined than ever to make his king bleed. Rage was becoming the dominant feeling in his chest, but there were other, desperate things clawing at him inside and hoping that his king would understand him.

“What, taking over my body and eating my family? That's all you've ever talked about! Am I supposed to just know without you ever saying anything?” Ichigo's frustration was obvious in his fighting.

White growled, teeth bared, and thought about just forcing his king to the ground. Yes, taking control of the weak human, maybe he could _make_ his king understand. A pale hand wrapped around a darker throat and slammed the Shinigami into the ground, the hollow kneeling above him and snarling at the idiot king.

“Wh-at do you want? Jusss-t tell me...” Ichigo gasped and struggled for breath beneath him, and Ogichi relished the sight, feeling a dark thrill at overpowering his king.

“When have you ever learned something from me for nothing in return?” Zangetsu whisper-hissed, his lips brushing Ichigo's ear.

He dragged Ichigo up by the throat and threw him aside, the Shinigami stumbled and nearly fell over the edge of a column but righted himself just in time as he coughed.

Shiro kicked him over the edge.

He laughed as he watched the Shinigami fall and splash into the water below.

A blast of water reaching up past his head, and Ichigo re-emerged in front of him with his blade already mid-swing. Finally, his king was taking this fight seriously. Hichigo dodged, avoiding the strike that sliced a corner of the column clean off, and came up behind Ichigo. He cut a shallow slice into Ichigo's shoulder before the Shinigami turned around and then slipped away again as Ichigo swung over his head.

“You're my Zanpakutou, and you didn't even tell me! I thought Shinigami and their Zanpakutou were supposed to be partners, but you're the one who let me go on believing that you were just a parasite! How was I supposed to know otherwise?” Ichigo yelled at him as they dodged and wove around each other.

“What tha Hell have ya' been learnin' from those visoreds? Ya' shoulda' figured it out for yerself! Why else would I be in yer inner world anyway?” His emotions were getting the better of him, showing in his speech as Shiro growled in Ichigo's face.

“What about the old man then? Is he a part of you?” Ichigo shouted from farther away.

“Forget him!” Hichigo snapped vehemently as he slipped and let Ichigo score a scratch across his forearm. “He's just an old man, can't trust him anyway, he's always cuttin' me in half an' tryin' ta' destroy me.” Hichigo grumbled bitterly as he flicked some of the dark blue blood off of his arm.

Ichigo blinked at that, visibly confused, and White scoffed at his naivete. The idiot hadn't even been trying to find out _why_ he was a Shinigami or where his powers came from. As long as he _had_ power at his disposal he didn't even _care_ what it was.

If it had feelings of it's own.

Ogichi rushed the Shinigami, wanting to get his claws into that weak flesh and tear and-

“Are you jealous of-” Ichigo's eyes widened halfway through the sentence as he changed what he wanted to ask, and as he narrowly avoided hierro sharpened nails. “He hurt you? Zangetsu please just tell me what's going on!”

Shiro growled again at his king's lack of understanding, tackling him off the side of the column and refusing to loosen his grip even as they plunged below the surface of the water. His arms were wrapped tightly around his king's body, holding the Shinigami close unlike ever before.

He didn't want to let go, he wanted to hold on forever, Hichigo buried his face in Ichigo's throat and squeezed tighter even though Ichigo was struggling to escape from him. Ichigo tried to push him away and break his grip and even hit him with the hilt of his sword, the stupid old man's sword, but Hichigo refused to let the pain break him.

To his shock, when Ichigo's struggles weakened and slowed, instead of losing consciousness Ichigo wrapped his arms around Zangetsu's shoulders and embraced him tightly in return. Zangetsu felt acceptance and completeness and unfamiliar warmth that made him loosen his hold to something more comfortable. He wanted to stay just like this but Ichigo's arms trembled, and his body spasmed uncontrollably, and instead Zangetsu dragged his wielder back to the surface of the water so that he wouldn't drown before they could speak again and understand each other.

They had drifted in a current, and the column Shiro dragged them to the top of was undamaged. He deposited Ichigo near the edge and collapsed beside his king, listening to him cough up the water he had swallowed. There was no point in comforting him, he would be fine, and probably think Shiro was attacking him anyway. His chest felt heavy at that, weighing on him as he stared up at the clear sky and listened to Ichigo struggling to clear his lungs.

When Ichigo collapsed on his back beside him Ogichi glanced over at him and caught Ichigo staring at him. He felt frozen, and he didn't quite like the way those eyes seemed to expose him with new and sudden understanding. Determined not to show his weakness however, Ogichi remained still instead of shifting away as he wanted to.

Ichigo dragged himself up to lean over his Zanpakutou and stared down into the face that mirrored his own as Hichigo stared back up at him. Ichigo's eyes were studying Hichigo intently, and he stared back defiantly, nervously waiting for what conclusions Ichigo would draw.

Instead of speaking Ichigo leaned down, and the hollowfied Zanpakutou melted into the kiss as Ichigo's damp lips brushed against his and then pressed firmly into him, sharing feelings that Ichigo wasn't sure how to say but that Zangetsu could feel through their bond.

Zangetsu's eyes fluttered closed as he lost the battle to remain strong and his fingers gripped the soaked cloth over Ichigo's shoulders as he pulled his wielder down on top of him, the warmth between them growing now that they were together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and just to be clear, Zangetsu doesn't have some kind of multiple personality, he just thinks of himself as all and none of those names, they're completely interchangeable to him.
> 
> Although if they were different personalities... well I guess maybe it would be like this:  
White is a wild hollow who wants to eat Ichigo and escape,  
Shiro is a 'tame' hollow who talks like he wants to eat Ichigo but really is loyal and emotionally attached to him,  
Ogichi is kind of sadistic and wants to devour Ichigo in other ways,  
Hollow is a two dimensional enemy who just fights to make Ichigo stronger (and that isn't a name anyway),  
Hichigo is the most 'human' and just randomly fell in love with Ichigo for reasons,  
Zangetsu is the normal Zanpakutou partner.
> 
> And, since I made these notes^ halfway through the chapter, I went on to use the name that suited the actions/words based on this list... so eh~ it sounds even more like he's a bunch of personalities now, but he still ISN'T, (laughing about it now) :D


	4. Part IV : Visoreds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it looks like there will be a fifth chapter after all... yay?

Gasping for breath Ichigo dragged Zangetsu's arm over his shoulders and stood. Behind them the mass that had contained Muramasa's inner world was dissolving, the other pair had finally reunited but it had been too late for the Zanpakutou that had absorbed so many hollows. Koga and Muramasa had decided to meet their end together, as a Shinigami and Zanpakutou should. That hadn't made it easy for the two of them to escape their inner world, and Zangetsu seemed to have been injured protecting Ichigo from some kind of corrosive effect of the bubbling violet substance.

In front of them the team of soul reapers who had regained their Zanpakutou's and followed Muramasa to the living world had gathered after destroying all of the hollows that had swarmed into Karakura Town. They were watching him carefully and Ichigo tensed at how wary of him they seemed to be. He was shocked, and angry, when Soi-Fon stepped forward and demanded he step away from 'the hollow'.

“Kurosaki, you have been allied to us in the past, but we have to be sure that this thing isn't a threat.” Toshiro said cold and impersonally.

“No, no way are you doing anything to Zangetsu!” Ichigo let his temper get the better of him as he shouted his answer, sure that he was fully justified in doing so, after all this was his Zanpakutou they were talking about.

“You are choosing to protect the hollow?” Captain Kyoraku asked, tense and watching Ichigo and Zangetsu for any sudden moves.

“Why is that so strange?” Ichigo demanded of the older captain. “So what if he's a hollow? All that matters is that he's a part of me.” He insisted, tightening his grip on his Zanpakutou. He wouldn't let them have Zangetsu, he hadn't exactly forgotten the execution that he'd invaded their stronghold to stop and he wasn't going to stand by and watch as they did anything even close to as stupid as that to his... such an important piece of him.

Ichigo wanted to shake his head at the way that thought trailed off. He hadn't really had time to process the revelation he'd had about Zangetsu's feelings. He'd gone with his instincts and embraced Zangetsu, and even though he'd been drowning at the time he had felt some kind of certainty about what Zangetsu was trying to make him understand. Suddenly he'd just been able to see it, as though he had been blind before but now he could see. Ichigo had followed that feeling, not stopping to think about what he was doing, _and he'd kissed Zangetsu!_

He didn't know if that was okay, or if it was normal or _not_, but Zangetsu certainly hadn't minded and Ichigo was still trying to wrap his head around that. All this time he'd been sure that his hollow was an invader who hated him and wanted to kill and eat him, and instead he was Ichigo's Zanpakutou who maybe just was frustrated and confused about his feelings and lashing out? Ichigo really didn't know what to do with that.

What he did know was that Zangetsu was _his_ and he wasn't going to let these soul reapers that he barely knew, though maybe sort of liked, do anything to hurt him.

***

Even having seen just moments ago the spirits belonging to the hollowfied Shinigami traitors hadn't been as unnerving as staring down the bleached clone of the Substitute Shinigami. _Their_ forms had simply been adorned with a few bits of hollow armor and masks and otherwise had not been unlike any other Zanpakutou spirit they had seen since Muramasa had set all the spirits loose. They hadn't acted any more combative or disobedient than any other spirit, and the soul reapers they attacked or threatened had reacted to them the same as they all had to their own non-hollowfied spirits.

This strange look-alike however was thoroughly unnerving, something about it setting them all on edge and just waiting for the other shoe to drop._ 'Why would a Zanpakutou spirit look just like their wielder.'_ They all wondered, or _'what experiments were done to achieve this power in a boy still in possession of a living body?'_

Even with Central still in complete disarray they could all agree that they needed to know more and keep this potential threat contained. Unfortunately the traitors had managed to reclaim their Zanpakutou spirits, and came to the defense of their youngest.

***

“I think ya' have got bigger problems back in Soul Society ta' worry about than a single Zanpakutou spirit out here, especially since it's back under control.” Shinji warned the gathered members of the Gotei 13.

He didn't like the look of things, the way they had all arrayed themselves around Ichigo as if preparing for an attack, as if the red-head who was panting for breath and barely supporting his Zanpakutou's weight was any kind of threat to them right now. Beside him, Lisa was glaring down her former captain, daring him to face her and Haguro Tonbo in battle. The rest of the visoreds had chosen their own opponents, if it came to that, and Shinji was hoping it wouldn't.

“Your own transgressions aside, and don't think your status won't be revisited when time permits, Kurosaki Ichigo has made a habit of entering and leaving Seireitei without permission. The individual flouting our laws is indeed our problem.” Kyoraku's words were firm but he spoke them mildly, eyeing Lisa unhappily.

“Well he isn't in Seireitei now, so it isn't a problem now, that looks like it is though.” Shinji jerked his head in the direction of the Senkaimon that had just disgorged a Hell Butterfly.

***  
***

The warehouse was only half there, the roof blown open and one wall gone, but the furniture was mostly where they'd left it and they all collapsed in there usual places. The Shinigami were gone, hastily rushing back to Seireitei to save their divisions from an army of Zanpakutou spirits, and Karakura Town had fewer hollows wandering about than usual after that culling.

All in all they had plenty of time for the break they deserved, and they were definitely all in favor of taking advantage of it. To be honest Muramasa had done them a favor, they hadn't spoken so well to their Zanpakutou in a century, and they were all feeling a bit giddy about it. They might have also been a bit loopy from exhaustion but with their crowd that was hard to tell.

After they had gotten comfortable they had all wound up staring at Ichigo and his Zanpakutou spirit, looking back and forth between the two of them and making comparisons. They were physically identical in everything but coloring, the only difference was the way they expressed themselves. Having now been able to compare each of their own spirits to each other and note the hollow bone fragments on each of them it was strange that Ichigo's spirit was so unique, but then Ichigo had always been different from the rest of them.

Definitely different.

The lot of them blinked, gaped and jumped in surprise when the white Ichigo climbed into the colorful Ichigo's lap and curled up on his chest like a contented cat, eyes drifting lower like he might take a nap. Lisa's glasses gleamed as she pushed them back up her nose, her hand half hiding her spreading grin. Shinji despaired sometimes, he really did.

“So Ichigo, how long have you two been together?” She asked in her approximation of a sultry almost-purr.

Shinji wanted to slap a hand to his face as he watched Ichigo blink in bewilderment at and then answer the question, having completely missed her implication.

“Um, always? I guess...?” He said in confusion, not getting it at all.

Shinji almost felt bad for him, really. He wasn't a little kid though, even if he was young, so Shinji wasn't going to help him figure out that Lisa was implying that his 'intimate' seating arrangement made them look like lovers.

“Idiot!” Hiyori muttered from the armchair she was sprawled over as she stared at Ichigo upside-down.

Ichigo was looking between them, and then around at the group (Rose raised an eyebrow at him and Love just grinned back) trying to puzzle it out.

“Yer too dense sometimes king.” The Zanpakutou in Ichigo's lap rolled his eyes and reached up with one hand, harshly grabbing the back of Ichigo's head and yanking him down to smash their lips together.

Hiyori jumped and fell out of her chair, Lisa's glasses fogged up, and Shinji himself didn't know whether he was laughing or crying. Both, definitely both, he realized eventually when he was on the floor and staring up at the hole where the ceiling should go.

Ichigo clearly didn't notice their reactions, seeing as he'd started kissing his Zanpakutou back pretty much immediately, and Shinji figured this was just one more thing about Ichigo and his Impossible Achievements.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heh, I used some of the talk between Muramasa and Ichigo as being between Kyoraku and Ichigo instead...
> 
> As I've said before, I haven't exactly figured out all the details of this alternate universe, like who's where and why, but at the moment I'm kind of thinking that Urahara is still in Soul Society, so I'm imagining that part of the situation that had everyone rushing back to Soul Society was the giant lady yanking everyone into the sky and stitching garlands of people together... eeek! Help! (not killing them really, just dangling them by their ankles and such to get them out of the way...)
> 
> and 'Why would a Zanpakutou spirit look just like their wielder.' is a question I have been wondering for QUITE a while, if it's been answered in canon then it must be somewhere I haven't read yet, but really, how is that not weird? None of the other Zanpakutou look like their wielders, right? >.>


	5. Part V : Quincy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah ha! Finished!
> 
> *Spoilers* vaguely, sort of, if you don't know who old man Zangetsu is, although it's probably not accurate because it's been a while since I read about it and I never did finish that arc of the manga... eek!

To say that Ichigo was embarrassed was an understatement. Sure he wasn't the most outwardly affectionate person, and not prone to public displays, but primarily the visoreds wouldn't let him live it down as he blushed dark red and tried to escape their teasing with Zangetsu laughing right along with them the whole way as Ichigo dragged him out of the common area and into someone's bedroom. He ignored the subsequent jokes about 'getting a room' and 'but that's _my_ room', he just needed some privacy to _talk_ to Zangetsu.

Of course that plan went out the window immediately when Zangetsu backed him up against the closed door and swallowed his words with another kiss, and Ichigo thought he could get used to this. Eyes drifting shut and gasping for breaths as he let Zangetsu lead him over to the unfamiliar bed, Ichigo was surprised when Zangetsu tossed the blanket over them and just cuddled up to him, eyes already closing in sleep.

Blinking a bit at the change of intent Ichigo felt the blanket settle and listened to the muffled sounds of conversation through the door, felt the weight of Zangetsu's head on his chest and his white hair tickling his throat and chin, and before Ichigo knew it he had drifted off to sleep as well.

Waking up against the cold glass window Ichigo rubbed sleep out of his eyes and looked around at his inner world. Zangetsu's head was in his lap and Ichigo stared down at the golden eyes that observed him unblinkingly.

“What are we doing here?” Ichigo asked his Zanpakutou, wondering if they were going to have to fight again and honestly dreading the possibility with a heavy heart.

Zangetsu reached up and flicked his temple, chuckling as he lept to his feet suddenly full of energy while Ichigo clutched at his now smarting head and cursed lightly.

“You wanted to know about the old man, figured we should get to it before Soul Society decides what to do about the Zanpakutou.” Was Zangetsu's explanation as he started off toward the edge of the building.

Scrambling after him Ichigo wondered again just who or what the old man was, if the hollow was Zangetsu. It still bothered him that the old man hadn't answered him at all when Ichigo had called for him, he'd thought that the old man cared about him and it hurt to think that he might not.

They found the old man a few buildings later, standing on a flagpole and facing away from them. Zangetsu kicked the pole, making it sway, but the old man didn't lose his balance or seem to take any notice of them.

“What are ya', a scarecrow? King wants answers, an' he already knows about me so ya' may as well tell him!” Zangetsu said angrily, glaring up at the shady figure.

Ichigo stood watching as Zangetsu got more and more frustrated, wondering if he was supposed to intervene or something when Zangetsu tackled the old man off the pole. Suddenly the world shifted, and everything tilted to the side, and Ichigo felt himself falling as he had once before when he had thought he was learning the old man's name. Startled, Ichigo attempted to grab onto something but he was already falling, and before he knew it there was a splash and he was submerged in water again.

A moment later another splash thrust Zangetsu and the old man into the water above him and Ichigo reached out for both of them this time, grabbing both of their sleeves and pulling them close. He honestly didn't care what the old man's story was, as long as the old man would talk to him and be honest then Ichigo would accept him.

Zangetsu's hand wrapped around his forearm right away, and he was still holding onto the old man's arm too, but the old man hesitated. Turning in the water to look at them both, he waited until Ichigo was worried that he might drown before he reluctantly embraced them both. The water around them seemed to drain, and then they were all sprawled out together on the once again sideways building, and Ichigo remembered that he wouldn't have drowned anyway since it was his own inner world.

Ichigo shook his head in disbelief and pinned the old man with his glare. “Just tell me what's going on, it's not like I can't handle whatever it is!”

The old man took a deep breath and Ichigo was sorry to see that he looked not only grim but sorrowful. “I am not your Zanpakutou, Ichigo.” He glanced aside at Zangetsu. “I am not a sword at all.”

***

Old Man, no longer falsely named Zangetsu and never having possessed a name of his own, watched his child sadly. This was the soul he had been gifted to, as a part of the whole. The one he was supposed to look after and protect, and sacrifice if he was called to return. Kurosaki Ichigo was his Quincy, and despite any mixed blood and hollow infections the boy was strong enough to be more than a sacrifice, but now Old Man wasn't sure if he wanted Ichigo to follow that path.

He had been having doubts, especially recently, and his own opinion of Shinigami was perhaps no longer what it was meant to be. He wondered how far astray he would drift before he was reclaimed, and if his child would survive it when he was ripped out of the boy's soul.

Seeing Zangetsu's open devotion to his Shinigami, Old Man knew that Ichigo would not be alone, but the pain of losing such a large portion of one's soul was damage beyond repair. Even the Shinigami scientist that had lead Ichigo farther away from his proper heritage would be unable to mend the damage, but knowing that Ichigo's Zanpakutou would never be accepted by his Quincy brethren would only injure Ichigo the same way.

Above all, Old Man knew, he wanted Ichigo to be strong. Strong enough to survive anything and everything and for that he would set aside his pride and reveal the truth.

***

The old man had explained, quietly and patiently when Ichigo asked questions, and then he had taken Ichigo's left hand in both of his own. Now Ichigo was staring down at the thin silver bracelet around his left wrist and the small Quincy star/cross charm dangling from it. It looked exactly like the one he had seen that jerk Ishida wearing, the one that he used to summon his bow, but Ichigo could feel the old man in the charm the same way he could now feel Zangetsu in his Zanpakutou.

He was still in shock, hearing about his mother and what the old man really was, but as far as he could tell the old man was just the Quincy version of a Zanpakutou and that Ichigo understood. The old man was a part of his soul too, and they had power when they worked together, so he just needed to learn how to do that. The old man had taught him all about that once before so Ichigo was sure he could do it again, the only thing Ichigo doubted was that he could master a bow, _but why did he need to?_

Ichigo contemplated that thought for a moment, thinking back to the times he had seen his stuck up Quincy classmate use his bow and arrows. He seemed to form them to whatever shape he wanted, and the thing was, well Ichigo knew that the old man could use a sword. He'd trained Ichigo for his shikai and bankai after all, _and wouldn't a Quincy sword be mostly the same as a Quincy arrow?_

Even Ichigo was shocked when he managed to somehow craft a glowing blue sword shaped exactly like Zangetsu's bankai with barely a thought, and he was so startled that he lost his 'grip' on it immediately and it dissipated in a swirl of blue lights. Zangetsu's laughing at the old man's expense was infectious and Ichigo tried to hold back his snickers but the old man just heaved an exasperated sigh and let a small smile tug at one corner of his mouth. He would be a sword after all.

So they all had a lot of practicing to do.

***  
***

Waking up drained and full, well rested and exhausted, was _weird_. Hiyori glaring down at him from barely five inches above his face made him yelp like a little girl, which just made her laugh at him but he was pretty sure it changed her mind about slapping him in the face with the sandal in her hand so Ichigo was okay with that.

Holding one hand to his chest wile he tried to get his heart rate back under control Ichigo looked around and realized that he must have stolen Hiyori's room, which explained the creepy sleep-watching and almost sandal-beating.

“Time for breakfast, idiot! Get out!” Hiyori yelled, arms crossed imperiously.

“Nngh. Five more minutes midget.” Zangetsu mumbled from Ichigo's other side, and Ichigo found himself hastily rolling out of the way under Hiyori's leap as she launched herself at his Zanpakutou spirit.

Ichigo left the brawl behind and stumbled into the kitchen for the offered breakfast, noticing that everyone else's Zanpakutou spirits had vanished. Wondering if Zangetsu was going to stay outside his inner world for good now, or at least most of the time, Ichigo grabbed his plate and listened with half an ear to the visoreds usual chatter.

Which stopped when Zangetsu slid into his lap and stole his toast. Leaning one elbow on Ichigo's shoulder and getting toast crumbs in his hair, which Ichigo found himself uncommonly calm about, Zangetsu smirked around the table at the watching visoreds and swallowed the rest of the toast before kissing Ichigo right on the lips again.

Well, Ichigo mused, wrapping his arms around Zangetsu's waist as his Zanpakutou spirit had his way with him, if this was how every morning was going to be from now on he was pretty okay with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I usually go with 'Ossan' for old man Zangetsu when he needs a 'name', but I'd already started calling him old man so I decided to stick with it and eh~ I think it works okay.  
And yeah, I didn't really get back to the whole Zanpakutou Rebellion part... just like I never really got around to figuring out whether Ichigo's human friends are actually around at all or when in the whole timeline this takes place... but I'm kind of thinking that there's a small population of independent Zanpakutou spirits somewhere somehow now... and Urahara managed to talk Benihime around to set all her Christmas tree decorations back on their feet... :D


End file.
